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Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

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BeyondBlue Hi! Check out this post if you're not sure how to start
  • replies: 0

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are... View more

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are really interested in what you might want to add to these conversations. We get it, having anxiety makes it hard to share in a public place. Remember, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anxiety in some form in their lives. This might be in social settings, at work, or just in the day to day. You don’t need a diagnosis to post here. If it feels like the right spot for your post, go right ahead! We know that feeling anxious can make it hard to reach out so we want you to know that getting this far is amazing and a great start. A few tips for getting the most out of this section: Get involved when you can! Posting and replying is the heartbeat of this community and you DO have something worthwhile to share (when you’re ready ) Every experience is different. There is no competition here. We know how challenging anxiety can be and how it comes in all shapes and sizes. What you are experiencing will be respected and supported here. Trust yourself! You are the expert in your experience. This community works because people like you share what has worked for you. Thank you for getting involved and taking a look. We can’t wait to hear from you! Beyond Blue

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itisawesome Work performance anxiety
  • replies: 2

I don't understand where this comes from but there are times when I am anxious about my work and I worry I'm not putting in my best effort or I think others can see I'm not performing very well. I've had this kind of anxiety for many years and I don'... View more

I don't understand where this comes from but there are times when I am anxious about my work and I worry I'm not putting in my best effort or I think others can see I'm not performing very well. I've had this kind of anxiety for many years and I don't know how to consistently cope with it. I recognise I put myself down and so criticise myself. I just wish I could be happy with my effort on a consistent basis. What should I do to help myself?

Chantel1990 OCD?
  • replies: 4

I'm not sure if I have OCD or not but have been thinking about getting help I am now 22 but from as long as I can remember I have always had a habit of tucking my socks underneath my toes and clenching my toes so that the socks stay there. If they co... View more

I'm not sure if I have OCD or not but have been thinking about getting help I am now 22 but from as long as I can remember I have always had a habit of tucking my socks underneath my toes and clenching my toes so that the socks stay there. If they come loose i have to fix them up straight away and if I don't do it I feel extremely uncomfortable. This habit never really bothered me and still doesn't but within the last two years I have developed others that affect me alot. The first is cracking my neck and thumb joints. I have never been a person to crack my joints and have always hated when other people did it. It's not like a normal feeling of having a tense or stiff neck and having to crack it either, it's just a feeling that I have to do it and have no choice. Ill just sit there cracking it over and over and if I don't an extreme tension builds and I can't control myself from not doing it again. With my thumb knuckles I just sit there bending them over and over and if they don't crack I hold it up to my ear so I can hear it just in case it cracks quietly. Even when it does, it's doesnt help and I still have to keep bending and cracking it. Sometimes it's so bad that the next day my thumbs will be aching. The other habit is having to hold the skin underneath my thumbnail away from my thumb. It's hard to describe but I hate the feeling on the underside of my nail touching my skin on my thumb so I push my index finger against it and if I am on my phone I often have to push it against the edge of my phone instead. I don't know what to do or who to speak to and what help is available or if it even is OCD.

strothers101 Maximizing Treatment
  • replies: 9

Hey guys, Ive boomed in to see a therapist for my anxiety issues. Basically I become fixated on certain things and constantly look for and think over the most catastrophic outcomes imaginable, which then creates massive amounts of anxiety. So, im her... View more

Hey guys, Ive boomed in to see a therapist for my anxiety issues. Basically I become fixated on certain things and constantly look for and think over the most catastrophic outcomes imaginable, which then creates massive amounts of anxiety. So, im here looking for any and all suggestions and personal stories on how to maximize my potential at beating this thing! Excersise? Cutting out alcohol? Any and all suggestions on how to overcome my anxiety issues and move forward. Cheers,

Gizmo83 Struggling to get by
  • replies: 3

I was diagnosed with anxiety 18 months ago and it was such a relief to know that it had a name. I've always had to be strong. So many things have happened in my life and everyone has just expected me to deal with it, so thats what I did. It didn't he... View more

I was diagnosed with anxiety 18 months ago and it was such a relief to know that it had a name. I've always had to be strong. So many things have happened in my life and everyone has just expected me to deal with it, so thats what I did. It didn't help, it festered and became worse than ever. Now it's got to a point where I feel I'm spinning out of control. My partner and I are having issues because he doesn't know if he can handle it. I'm left in limbo because I have no control over my future, its all in his hands. I don't know what to do anymore. I can't eat or sleep properly, my emotions are out of control and the techniques I've used in the past are no longer working. Im having fewer and fewer times of calm and clarity and its killing me and my relationship. I don't know how to stop

Magyarok Blood Test Anxiety - Hemaphobia
  • replies: 6

Hi All, This may seem a trivial but it is a very real problem for me - i have hemaphobia which is a specific anxiety disorder relating to blood and in my case a very strong fear of blood tests. Even the thought of a blood test makes me feel queasy an... View more

Hi All, This may seem a trivial but it is a very real problem for me - i have hemaphobia which is a specific anxiety disorder relating to blood and in my case a very strong fear of blood tests. Even the thought of a blood test makes me feel queasy and feeling faint and i will noticeably go pale and my fingers and toes will feel funny and go weak. Needless to say that when i am faced with a blood test i will experience the above and i will freak out and i will go faint and black out. Thankfully i have only experienced four blood tests in my life with the last being a few years back but now that i am in my forties i understand that regular blood tests may become an unfortunate reality and for this reason i avoid going to the doctors. But unfortunately i will have to go soon for a workplace medical and i am fearful that because of my age and that i haven't had a check up in years that the doctor may order blood tests for me which freaks me out. I have tried to explain that i have a blood test phobia to doctors / nurses before but they just give me a perplexed look and suggest that i'm just being 'silly' and they will just down play it to a fear of needles. I am not scared of needles - i don't like them but i am able to cop them if necessary without drama. I can even go to the dentist no problem and not even flinch! It is blood tests and anything else that is intravenous (drips, epidurals etc) that really freak me out and cause anxiety. Apologies again if this seems trivial but it is a very real fear for me and i don't know how i can possibly overcome it. Does anyone else experience this? Does anyone have any advice? Take Care ignoP

T3 Post clinic help
  • replies: 5

I have been staying in a mental health clinic for just over a week no. It has been great and have learnt some great coping skills and had time to refelct. The only issue i have is that the environment is so controlled i am anxious about going home. W... View more

I have been staying in a mental health clinic for just over a week no. It has been great and have learnt some great coping skills and had time to refelct. The only issue i have is that the environment is so controlled i am anxious about going home. Will i relapse straight away? Will i be triggered by something so small because of the lackof triggers in here? Will i be able to cope back in "normal" life? Does anyone have any tips or advice who has been through the same thing?

white knight Imperfections and confidence
  • replies: 3

We can cross a river on stepping stones but if they are submerged we need to find out how to lower the water level so the stones reappear to continue our journey. With zero confidence it wont just appear, we need to analyse it further. For example, d... View more

We can cross a river on stepping stones but if they are submerged we need to find out how to lower the water level so the stones reappear to continue our journey. With zero confidence it wont just appear, we need to analyse it further. For example, do we fear other people? Do we worry about what others think? Do we risk embarrassment?, Do we get "foot in mouth" and say the wrong things? Were we criticised too much as children and were "never good enough"?So identifying the source is the first step. Then one can proceed. That next step could be hard work or could be easy with a "light bulb" moment. Just as an example. I was nicknamed "the worrier" by a teacher at school. Thats how much I worried. When around 50yo a friend asked me what benefits me when I worry? Ulcers? A while ago I started this thread. Use google Topic: worry worry worry- beyondblue So, returning to my point, worry was natural for me as I grew up in an anxious childhood environment. I thought it wasnt curable until (the obvious) was pointed out to me. Now my worry meter is 90% lower. Another example. It is a symptom of adhd and mania to put foot in mouth and embarrass ourselves by not thinking before we speak. So learning that we a/ dont need to reply everytime there is a gap in conversation, we can just smile b/ we can give one positive word answers "wow"..."great" c/ we can talk slower d/ we can ask questions which people love to answer about themselves e/ we can learn to talk less about ourselves. But if we didnt know about those options we could go through our whole lives saying wrong things and our confidence would never grow.If we add that learning technique (seeking the source)with a positive attitude of "I have a right to speak up and if others dont like it...its their problem" and "individuals like me that have these hurdles are not to blame for their imperfections, we all have those" then you will advance. One day you'll address someone for criticizing you simply for saying the wrong thing, a human mistake. A mistake that once was the reason for you being withdrawn.Then you'll know....you started loving yourself. We shouldnt go through life punishing ourselves for our imperfections. We should commend ourselves for doing everything within our capacity to counter them...by identifying the source and considering other options. Tony WK

Maryjane93 Tips for managing physical symptoms of anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi guys, So I've been waking up with pretty intense anxious feelings in my chest. I'm trying out body scanning and meditation, which help but then the feelings come back. Does anyone have any other tips?

Hi guys, So I've been waking up with pretty intense anxious feelings in my chest. I'm trying out body scanning and meditation, which help but then the feelings come back. Does anyone have any other tips?

Andy111 Anxiety and Worry taking over
  • replies: 3

Hi Everyone, Don’t really feel comfortable doing something like this, but it’s a lot easier than verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings. I am really discontent with my life at the moment. It does not make sense – I am in my mid 20s, I have grad... View more

Hi Everyone, Don’t really feel comfortable doing something like this, but it’s a lot easier than verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings. I am really discontent with my life at the moment. It does not make sense – I am in my mid 20s, I have graduated from university, I have a good position for a good company, I am healthy, I have many friends and a large family. I have been feeling like this for numerous years now, however have never really tackled the problem and given it much priority (maybe because ive never felt comfortable expressing feelings and feel weak doing so). I always keep telling myself to go see a psychologist but I don’t even know where to start. I am frequently feeling anxious and worried and my heart is constantly racing. I am always unsure, I don’t have much confidence in myself and I always have negative thoughts in my head. I don’t do well in social situations with people I am unfamiliar with. I am afraid of public speaking, I don’t like going to meetings at work, and I will go to extreme measures to avoid situations which I am not comfortable with. This is really affecting my performance at work, even though deep down I know I am more than capable. I do not have close relationships in my life, conversations with my siblings and parents are very limited and never deep. I usually go on about my life like everything is okay and under control, but deep down only I know how I really feel. Some days are good and get a glimpse of happy feelings but most days I feel miserable, empty, tired and demotivated. If I could get any advice that could lead me in the right direction and out of this spiral I would be very appreciative.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsN I'm new here.... + Medication
  • replies: 18

SO... long story short, I've had a bit of a battle with Generalised Anxiety and Depression over the last few years. It took me a while to get the courage up to get to the point where I had to admit that I needed some help by way of medication. I've h... View more

SO... long story short, I've had a bit of a battle with Generalised Anxiety and Depression over the last few years. It took me a while to get the courage up to get to the point where I had to admit that I needed some help by way of medication. I've had some varying experiences with counselling etc prior, and I had some good patches after, but the cold, hard reality of GAD has come back to bite me time after time. My doc has me on medication. That's easy to manage, but I'm still coming to terms with the side effects. The first day or so, I had quite the headache. Since then, I've just been really vague, or "foggy". I can function and do what I need to do at work, at home with the family etc, but it's a conscious battle to force myself along, rather than to allow myself to procrastinate and "zombie out", so to speak. Is this kind of thing normal, and when should I expect to see some benefit? The doc told me that I'd feel a little off for 2-4 weeks while the medication "sinks in", and everyone is different I suppose. I decided to join a gym last night, so hoping that can help too. A bit of my back story... I was in a good paying job, but I really hated it. The work itself was just ok, but the management and red tape were ridiculous. I've managed to find myself a better paying job, in a slightly different field, but with a hell of a lot less stress, so that's great. On the home front, I have a 3, nearly 4, year old daughter an early-teen step-daughter. I really struggle with my step-daughter, she's really hard work. We are cut from different cloth, and the influence her father has on her means we'll probably always struggle. My youngest daughter is a daddy's girl, she's my shadow. I love her with all a father can, but yeah... she's hard work, as are all toddlers! There isn't a moment's rest when we are home together, meaning I get very little peace (which I thrive on), and I don't really have much of a sanctuary away from the home struggles. My partner and I have had an up and down relationship, especially the last 2 years. At one point, I was living out of the family home for a month, while we decided where we went from there. We are back together, and things are still up and down. When it's good, it's really good, but when it's not.... yeah, it's horrible. Anyway - any advice, ideas or otherwise are all greatly appreciated! Cheers, Nath